Animating Individual Parts of 3D Models
A typical 3D model is comprised of many parts (subnodes). Not all of these parts need to be animated; most are just used for display. However, if you would like to animate a specific part, you need to add a Subnode Animation node under your 3D model and then create properties for that part.
Properties, also known as function columns, allow an object to be moved, rotated, scaled, etc. Subnodes with properties will appear in the Timeline view as a layer. You can then keyframe movements of any of the subnode's properties in the Timeline view.
If you would like to link the movements of one subnode to another, you can do so by linking functions—see Linking Functions.
- In the Node Library, in the left menu bar, click on 3D.
- Drag and drop the Subnode Animation node from the Node Library into the Node view.
- In the Node view, connect the Subnode Animation node under the node of your 3D model.
- In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform tool .
- In the Camera or Perspective view, click on your 3D model once to select the whole object, then click again to select the individual part.
- Use the Transform tool to move, rotate or scale the individual part.
- The subnode appears in the Timeline view.
- In the Timeline view, expand the subnode layer to view its properties.
- Continue adding keyframes and making changes to the properties values to animate the individual part of the 3D model.
The Subnode Animation node automatically appears in the Timeline view, under the 3D model layer.
A keyframe appears in the first frame, recording the movement that was just made.